Expedite development activities countrywide under new budget provisions – PM

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena advised all the Governors and District Coordinating Committee Chairpersons to speed up all development activities countrywide under the new budget provisions.

The Prime Minister gave these instructions in a discussion held at Temple Trees with Governors, District Coordinating Committee Chairpersons and senior officials regarding the activities related to Provincial Councils and Local Government Institutions and future development activities on Tuesday (19).

In the year 2024, projects proposed to be implemented under the supervision of the Provincial Governors and District Coordination Committee Chairpersons and expediting the development activities implemented by the Regional Coordination Committees and matters including food security, fisheries, renewable energy and information technology were given much attention.

Issues related to transfers of officers attached to Provincial Councils, completion of filling existing vacancies, new recruitments and revision of approved staff of Provincial Councils were also brought to attention.

The placement of multi-tasking workers in relevant institutions and the functioning of cooperative societies at the provincial level were further discussed and the Prime Minister mentioned that some provinces have still failed to pass the cooperative charter.

The Prime Minister pointed out that there is a Cabinet Sub-committee on the cooperative system and a special committee of Parliament, but certain properties owned by the cooperative have been put up for auction. The Prime Minister emphasized the imperative to refrain from touching the cooperative properties that cause public frustration. According to the cooperative procedure, a national programme on milk production is expected to be implemented as a principal programme in 2024 and the Prime Minister said the cooperative societies could play a major role in it.

District Coordinating Committee Chairpersons presented matters to the Prime Minister regarding some disagreement between the governors and public representatives during the implementation of development activities in some provinces. In response, the Prime Minister said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced the new budget clearly on the way forward and the Governors and District Development Committee Chairmen should lead the development activities at the district level as co-chairpersons.

Provincial Councils and Members of Parliament should work on targeting the district development programme under the main national development programme of the Government based on the budget allocations announced by the president after preparing a plan at the district level. By reducing wastage and making development budgets more effective, we can move towards rapid development goals by combining the financial provisions and income sources of the Local Government bodies that have been dissolved to meet the 2024 goals. The Prime Minister further emphasized that at least one development project should be implemented for each Grama Niladhari Division.

Governors, District Coordinating Committee Chairmen, Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Ranjith Ashoka and all Provincial Secretaries and Government officials participated in this event.

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